Hungry Eyes
by Scarlet has Fantasy Issues
Summary: Sesshomaru had guarded the village below his castle for many years and now he is in need of a mate. And he has a certain maiden in mind - a hanyou that his mother would not approve of. Sesshomaru/OC (An attempt to rewrite "Hanging By A Moment" to allow character development and future chapters.)


**A/N: Hi guys! Merry belated Christmas and Happy Holidays! I'm presenting to you this new story. It's basically an attempt to correct the horrors of "Hanging By A Moment" while giving some more backstory, plus giving me a way to write more if I feel so inclined. The smutty parts aren't any better and are mostly glossed over, unlike the "Hanging By A Moment" scene. I apologize, but those scenes are not my forte.**

**Anyway, please give this a chance and let me know what you think! And begin!**

**OOOOOOOOO**

A young woman looked up from the meal she had been preparing when she heard the sound of the village scout calling out that someone was coming. Glancing around, she saw that her father was not around to scold her from leaving the house when the meal could burn. Carefully arranging her hair to hide the slight points of her ears, the woman walked out of the house and looked to the west where the Demon Lord ruled the land from his castle. Many of her fellow villagers were looking towards the west as well, and the girl saw the reason why.

Coming into town was a squat little demon, bearing the two headed staff that had scared children into many sleepless nights. Her eyes stared at him, transfixed as he made his way to the center of the village. For such a small creature, he had the village squirming in fear. Fear of what, she was not sure even they knew.

"Pathetic humans," the demon began, glaring at them all from his high perch as he pulled out a scroll of paper. "The Great Lord Sesshomaru demands a sacrifice. On the night before the moon becomes full, Lord Sesshomaru demands that a virgin maiden be given to him. Ignore his demands and he will retract his protection of your pathetic lives and let loose his power upon your worthless hides." The demon tossed the scroll of paper onto the ground at the village leader's feet and turned. "Be smart or be dead. It doesn't matter which to me…" He chuckled deep within his throat. "Though I know which I'd prefer…"

The village leader stooped and collected the scroll as soon as the demon messenger was beyond the village boundaries. The crowd around him buzzed with words that blended in with each other until none could be readily divided. She could distinguish sounds of anger and of fear, but no more than that. Her gaze slid up to the castle in the distant west, wondering why of all the years of protection, the Great Demon Lord would demand a virgin sacrifice now.

She jumped when her arm was grasped just above the elbow. Her amber colored eyes turned towards her father and her mouth opened to speak, but he cut across her.

"Get back in the house, Child," he ordered in a low voice. "Now."

The young girl nodded and backed away from him. Her eyes turned to gaze at the people she had lived next to for all of her life and saw that some of the older ones were looking at her. Heat flooded her cheeks and she quickly turned and hurried back to her father's home. Pausing just outside the door, she glanced back towards the castle to the west.

_What are you planning, my Lord? _she wondered, feeling like someone was watching her.

OOOOOOOOO

Sesshomaru stood at the top of a tree near his castle, watching the little village below with little interest. His little demon helper came scurrying beneath the tree, out of breath and leaned heavily against the trunk. Sesshomaru's cool gaze barely lowered to look at the peon.

"You tire easily, Jaken," he commented, speaking to his demon helper. "Perhaps your usefulness is deteriorating as you age…Another younger, stronger underling may have to be found soon."

Jaken shook her head and straightened, desperately trying to make his tiredness seem to be over with. "No, my Lord! I'm – I'm as strong as ever! I may be getting even stronger!"

The Demon Lord didn't spare another breath on the fitness of his underling, choosing instead to look out at the village in the shadow of his castle. He could see the villagers scrambling around, probably thinking of ways to appease him, but he would not be appeased with small gifts or money for protection anymore. He wanted something more – something that would last longer than any of their pathetic lives would. And as his mother had pointed out in her demanding manner, she wanted to have grandchildren to take up the throne should he die.

It was amusing to think that he would have had to deal with a human female to create his future half-demon heirs. But the gods favored him with a blessing. It was a small one and one that he would not have wanted had he had the choice in the matter.

There was a young hanyou living in the village. He had seen her when she was a little girl during one of his brief walkthroughs. Then he hadn't seen her again until she was a young woman. It did not surprise him that the villagers shunned her. A demon child among their pathetic kind was something that they dreaded. From what he saw, she had no friends and instead worked hard in the garden behind her father's house.

He knew for certain that the villagers would not part with their precious daughters easily. Not the ones who were all pathetically human. And it was true that he didn't want to have a human mate because they died rather quickly and could not handle living with a demon of his power. The mother of InuYasha had proved as much. And Sesshomaru didn't want to have to constantly replace his mate when they started to lose their usefulness.

"They will send the hanyou female," Sesshomaru commented, watching the said girl slip from her father's house to gather vegetables from the garden.

"She is just as unworthy of your seed as the vile humans she lives with," Jaken muttered and then let out a yelp as the tree bark beside him exploded.

Sesshomaru's claws were pointed at his minion's throat. "The hanyou will suffice. And should she become my mate, you will not disrespect her in my presence. Is that understood, Jaken?"

Jaken nodded and fell on his knees, bowing over and over again. "Yes, my Lord! I understand perfectly! Not a word shall be said against her from these lips…I swear!"

The demon lord lifted his gaze away from the trembling form of his minion and turned it back towards the village so far below. The hanyou was gone; possibly back into her father's house to continue living like she had in the mud. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed for a moment and he turned his back on the village, heading back towards his castle home.

The hanyou would be his by the next full moon.

OOOOOOOOO

The girl looked up as she cleared away the remnants of the meal she had shared with her father. "Someone's coming," she told him quietly. "A group of men…No more than six, Father."

Her father rose to his feet and peered through the small window. The young hanyou watched his back stiffen and opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong. He turned his head so that she could see his face in profile. There was a sudden weariness draped over his face, aging it beyond his years.

"Child, do not go outside," he told her. "Do not let anyone see you. I will handle this."

And with a last warning look, her father stepped from the house and closed the door behind him. The hanyou felt a chill settle over her shoulders and went over to stand by the fire. There was a window nearby and she could see the castle where the Demon Lord of the Western domain lived. As a child, she had been terrified by his indifferent gaze and sheer power. The stories of his deeds had passed into her life and she had been raised in the same fear as the human children beside her. Yet now, she looked back into her memories of the Demon Lord and she saw something different – something that a child would never have dreamed about.

Her cheeks grew warm when she thought about how attractive she remembered the Demon Lord being. She bit her bottom lip and told herself that her father would be disappointed if he found out the thoughts she had about the protector of their village. But she knew she couldn't help it. Not since most of the young men she had grown up with would not even look in her direction unless it was with lust. She had become quite aware of the whisperings of how she would make a better whore than a wife.

_They don't know what they're talking about_, she reasoned, turning her gaze from the window. _One day, the right man will come along and he will love me for who I am and make me a mother to many children…Be it man, demon, or hanyou, we will be happy for the rest of our lives._

Her gaze slid over onto the door when she heard her name being spoken. There was anger and resentment in the voices and she thought she could hear her father's teeth grinding together. The instinct to go out and defend her father came creeping into her body, but he had told her to stay inside and she rarely went against his orders.

"Why must it be my daughter that the Demon Lord takes?" her father demanded. "There are far prettier maids in this village. Ones with far more talent and standing than my daughter could ever dream of having. Why not have a family with more than one daughter hand over one to him? Why does it have to be my _only _child?"

"You know very well that the Demon Lord would have no human at his side, regardless of how beautiful the girl might be," a voice said and the hanyou recognized it as the village leader's hard voice. "He has made it very clear that he doesn't care for humans – no mortal man could please him, but he must have servants to rule over. Your daughter straddles both worlds and would appease his hunger without causing him to hate her."

"But she is my only child," her father insisted. "She is all that I have left of my wife."

The hanyou was surprised to find her father's protests failing. Failing him and failing her. She tore her gaze away from the door and glanced into the fire, hoping that someone would save her from the sounds around her.

"You have to face the truth," the leader said. "If your daughter remained in this village, she would find no husband. She would be shunned for the rest of her life and never know the joy of having children of her own. In the arms of the Demon Lord, she may find herself with the life you wanted her to have. He may learn to love her and, if that is the case, she may live many years in the comforts of his castle…We have already decided. She cannot stay here. There will be no other virgin offered to the Demon Lord. And we will take her to him by force, if we must." The young hanyou held her breath as the leader continued to speak. "You know this is the best for her."

"But –" her father began.

"Father, please," the hanyou said, opening the door and looking at the group of men, who drew back when they saw her. "Please do not fight them…I – I will go with them. I will take the _honor_ of preserving the relationship between _our_ people and the great Demon Lord." Her amber colored eyes softened as she held her father's gaze. "I do not wish for the village to be torn apart by something so trivial." She placed a hand on her father's arm. "Come Father, your evening tea is ready."

Her father hesitated but nodded and allowed himself to be steered back into their small house. The young hanyou glanced over her shoulder at the men who had tried to hurt her father, allowing her fangs to flash at them. They drew back in fear and she smiled to herself, letting the door close behind her and her father.

"Child, I told you not to leave the house," her father said, easing himself into a sitting position.

"I stepped through the door, no farther," the hanyou told him, pouring him a small cup of tea. "And I could not let them manhandle you, Father. You are too old to be fighting with men like them." She frowned at him. "I worry for your health."

"The worry is needless. I can take care of myself. It's you I care about, Child," the man said, holding the cup between his trembling hands. "You are young and naïve and I cannot bear the idea of losing you to someone who could never love you."

The daughter sat next to the frail old man and pressed a hand against his arm. "I will get by…I may not be loved, but I will be cared for. And I will have the power to help you live in comfort…" Her eyes turned down. "The village leader was right, though."

"How so?" the old man asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"No one in this village would ever want me a wife," the hanyou said, clasping her hands on her lap. "It is a good thing that I am going to the Demon Lord, Father. Mother would have approved and one day, I will have many children…as long as the Demon Lord wants to keep me around."

The old man looked at her. "Are you scared?"

"Yes…but this is something I must do."

OOOOOOOOO

The hanyou was prepared for the Demon Lord's sacrifice over the next few days. The village women, who had once shunned her for the blood that she had been created from, took her under their wing as they would one day do with their own daughters. Her skin was washed and scented with pleasant smelling oils. Her moon-pale hair was brushed out and tied back in a loose ribbon, leaving several strands to frame her face. They dressed her in a short white summer kimono and tied it with a thick blue sash. There were no shoes on her feet and her legs were left bared to the world.

She was allowed to visit her mother's resting place with her father at her side. A small prayer was whispered for her mother to grant her courage in the fate she now faced. Men from the village had kept close to her, possibly afraid that she would take off and leave them with no ready sacrifice for the Demon Lord. The girl considered the idea of forcing another virgin to take her place, but she knew that it would not work. She, and she alone, had to go into the life of the Demon Lord of the Western Domain and nothing could change that.

Her goodbyes to her father were cut short by the village's men who grabbed her and forced her into the forest just beyond the village. In a clearing stood a post of wood that faced towards the castle and away from the village. She squirmed as they tied her hands behind her back and around the post, trying to convince them that the rope wasn't necessary. There was no place for her to run. Couldn't they see that?

With a final tug, the men disappeared from the forest and she heard their footsteps fade away. Her eyes turned up towards the moon as it rose above the tree line and a single crystalline tear slid down her cheek. Somewhere beyond her senses, she knew her father was in mourning for her and she was not yet dead.

_Father be strong. I will be fine. I will be strong, like you told me to. But you must be strong too. Mother would have wanted it to be this way. Don't weep long, Father. I will be safe._

She stared at her feet for what felt like years, but knew it was only a few hours. The chill of night settled over her and she shivered at the kiss of the cool wind. That's when she heard footsteps approaching. The hanyou closed her eyes and took a deep breath, telling herself not to be afraid of the Demon Lord. He was her owner now and it would dishonor her parents if she was going to show fear to the man who would take care of her.

The sounds of the Demon Lord's approach ended as if he had paused. The hanyou turned her gaze up, feeling the intensity of an unseen gaze upon her skin. He was standing closer to the shadows of the nearby trees, allowing very little of his face to be touched by the moonlight. The hanyou looked at him for a long moment, feeling her heart start to race and then slow down. There was no love in the Demon Lord's eyes – none that she could see.

_It cannot happen instantaneously_, she reminded herself, lowering her eyes respectfully. _Not when he knows that human blood taints me…Maybe he would never love me._

"A hanyou virgin," the Demon Lord said, stepping closer. "Chosen by the pathetic lot of worms that don't deserve the mud they eat…"

"Please, my Lord, don't insult my father's people," the young woman whispered, meeting his gaze again for just a moment. "They were only trying to protect their daughters…"

"And by doing so, they have guaranteed that none of their daughters will be wrapped in the finer things…" The Demon Lord put two of his fingers under her chin and tilted her face up. "What do they call you?"

"Ai."

Sesshomaru nodded and turned her head so he could see it in profile, first to the left and then to the right. "Hmm…you are rather beautiful for a hanyou."

Ai's body shivered. "Please, my Lord, there is very little beauty in a hanyou like me."

The Demon Lord's eyes hardened and he gripped her chin a little harder. "If I say you are beautiful, then you will know that you are. Do you understand that?"

The hanyou's eyes widened slightly. "Yes, my Lord."

She was surprised to see the barest hint of a smirk on his face as he let hers go. He reached around her and cut through the rope that bound her to the pole. Ai could not keep her moan of relief in her throat when her hands were freed from their restraints and heard Sesshomaru chuckle. With surprising gentleness, the Demon Lord grabbed one of her hands and held it between them. His thumb rubbed over the angry red marks that were embedded against her skin from the ropes.

"This is the humans' last chance to hurt you," he commented, releasing Ai's hand when she sucked in a small, painful breath. "Would you like to exact revenge for it?"

The idea had crossed her mind many times before, but the image of her father's pitiful face filled her mind's eye. Ai shook her head and rubbed at the red marks. "No, my Lord. I don't wish to hurt them back. They – they are behind me and not worth my time anymore." She lifted her eyes to meet his. "I am doing this because they need your continued protection, my Lord."

"Is that all?"

_Because you're the only chance I will ever have at being loved_, Ai thought, shaking her head. "There are a few reasons, but I have no right to mention them, my Lord." She rubbed her thumb over the red indentation in her skin on her right wrist. "I am your humble servant and I wish to make you happy."

Sesshomaru nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her back towards the forest he had emerged from. Ai didn't say another word, afraid to make the Demon Lord mad. Her heart beat heavily in her breast and her thoughts wondered back to what her father must be going through.

_Be strong Father_, she thought, looking forward again. _Mother would have wanted it to be this way…_

Neither demon spoke for several minutes as they traveled through the forest on a path that only one of them knew. Ai's nose twitched a little when she smelled a fire burning with the undertones of meat being cooked. It took all of her control to keep her stomach from revealing how hungry she had become. There was no way that the Demon Lord would approve of such weakness in his mate. Her eyes fell upon a cave that glowed from within – a cave that she had been warned to stay away from when she was a child as it had been rumored to be full of demons from Hell that loved to feast upon children.

The Demon Lord ushered her into the cave and continued leading her deeper into it. Ai's eyes found the fire burning at the back of the cave with food laid out around it. Meat sizzled on the hot rocks near the fire and fruit sat in bowls nearby. Her tongue swiped across her bottom lip and she let her eyes scan the rest of the cave. Heat flooded her face when she noticed something off to the far side.

Scattered on the far side of the cave's back were plush pillows and blankets of the finest silk and fur. It reminded her of a nest. One that she knew that she would be entering that night.

_He won't waste time in getting me in his bed_, Ai thought, tearing her eyes away from the nest of wealth. _And I can do nothing to stop him. But do I really want to? To stop him?_

OOOOOOOOO

Sesshomaru looked at the hanyou next to him as he indicated for her to sit down next to the fire. She sat, tucking her feet under her legs, and remained silent, watching the flames for moment. With slow movements to keep from startling her, he picked up a pair of knives and offered her one. He made no explanation of what she should do, instead choosing to stab a piece of meat with his knife and started to eat. Ai followed suit after a few moments and Sesshomaru smiled inwardly, watching the expressions pass over her face. She had clearly not been treated to the best meals in the land.

_But that will change_, Sesshomaru thought, breathing in slowly.

He could tell that she was in heat just by her scent. The urges to take her were there and very hard to ignore. Sesshomaru had planned for it to be like this. He had watched over the village long enough to track the daily routine of the girl and he knew whatever her body did. She was always in heat on the full moon and at her most vulnerable.

Ai's nose twitched as she chewed and she turned her gaze on him. Sesshomaru pretended not to notice. He could hear her heart beating quickly in her chest, slowed down, and then back up again.

_She's nervous_, Sesshomaru realized, stabbing another piece of meat on the end of his knife. _Like any virgin maiden should be._

The great Demon Lord allowed himself one moment of tenderness and put his hand upon her knee. Ai's face turned towards him again and she stopped chewing for a moment. When he made no other movement, she swallowed and returned to eating her meal.

OOOOOOOOO

Ai sat back when she had eaten her fill and set the knife down next the fire it had originally been by. She idly stroked her hair, though she knew she would rather stroke the fur that Sesshomaru possessed. Her eyes turned towards him and she knew that he could feel her nervousness. Yet, there was something else in his eyes that she had only seen in glimpses back with the boys in her father's village.

_There can be no delaying this now_, Ai realized, watching Sesshomaru rise to his feet. _He is my master now and I must do what he wants me to do._

When he held out his hand to her, Ai instinctively placed hers in his. Sesshomaru helped her to her feet and then let her go. The hanyou watched him remove his armor, heat flooding her face and her body was trembling again.

_Stop it! Stop acting like this is the end of the world!_ Ai chastised herself mentally. _Do what you're supposed to do and do not dishonor your father or mother!_

Sesshomaru's body was bared to the world from the waist up and he turned to face her. Ai moved closer to him and lowered her gaze. With clumsy fingers, she gripped at the sash that bound her kimono shut and tried to undo it. Sesshomaru's skilled hands pushed hers away and he snuck one around her waist. The hanyou shivered at the contact with his warm body and a small gasp of air escaped her lips. As close as she was to him, she could hear the soft chuckle buried in his chest.

The Demon Lord's free hand plucked at the sash around her and the sash fell freely to the ground. Ai trembled under his hands as he pulled away her short summer kimono, letting it sink around her shoulders which allowed it to keep her breasts covered. Ai glanced up into his amber colored eyes and saw the look again. She knew that he was holding in his carnal desires. She could see it and feel it.

"My Lord?" she whispered.

"You do not have to do this tonight, if you do not wish to," Sesshomaru told her in a low voice. "There will be other times."

Ai's widened a little and searched his for any sign of trickery. There was none that she could see. Yet, how could a Demon Lord tell his servant that she had control over the time they were to mate? It was unheard of and made her heart ache just thinking about it.

The Demon Lord made no move to further disrobe her, his eyes trained on her face. Ai moved onto her tiptoes and placed her hand at the back of Sesshomaru's neck, not knowing how she knew how to do any of this. She brushed her lips against his, softly at first and then with more pressure, and pressed her body flush against his more solid one. His hands gripped her arms tightly and he held her closer and closer still.

Moments passed and he had her completely naked to the world and he was laying her on the pile of furs and silken blankets.

The hanyou gasped as his tip brushed against her and stared up into his eyes. She saw the apology in his eyes, knowing without words that he didn't want to have to hurt her. Ai reached up and stroked his face, pulling it closer to hers as she lifted her hips up against his. A small cry escaped her lips as he sheathed himself inside of her and tears of pain smarted in her eyes.

Sesshomaru kissed away her tears as he slowly moved inside of her, allowing her to adjust to the new experience. When she moved under him, leaning into his touch, Sesshomaru started moving again. Little pants and kittenish moans came from her as she felt her body flood with the strange new heat of passion like she had never felt before. Ai felt his lips brush over her tender flesh, sending fire across her skin and making her bite her bottom lip to hold back screams.

The Demon Lord looked down at her as she muted her sounds and she saw the light in his eyes. "Do not hold back on me," he ordered and his lips found a place at her neck. "Scream your pleasure to the world, Ai."

Ai shook her head and stared up at the world, biting her lip against all the sounds. Sesshomaru picked up the pace when her body moved with his and his teeth pierced the place where her neck met her shoulder. A scream of his name echoed around the cave from her lips and she felt the growl of satisfaction vibrate against her flesh as he soothed the painful burn with his warm lips. Ai panted and moved against him as she felt herself nearing the edge of sanity. She wrapped her arms around him, digging her claws into the skin of his back and arched her hips to meet his.

Sesshomaru drove harder into her, deep growls rasping from between his lips as he brought her closer to the end. Ai clung to him more and cried out when she fell over the edge. Her eyes opened a little when she felt Sesshomaru tense up, thinking that she had done something wrong. The Demon Lord moved once more, thrusting himself deep in within her and Ai felt him fall over the same edge that she had. He moved slowly for a few moments as they rode out their climax and then removed himself from her, earning a small sound from Ai's lips. Ai watched him fall to the side and felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her against his chest.

She closed her eyes when his cheek touched her head. The tenderness of his actions had been unexpected after all that she had been taught back in her father's village, but welcomed. Ai breathed in slowly as Sesshomaru rubbed his hand over her stomach.

"Ai, you are my mate," Sesshomaru whispered, his voice still husky from the actions of before. "From this day until the end of our lives." His hand stilled on her stomach. "And I shall protect you and our pup with my life…"

Ai opened her eyes a little and felt the tears fill her eyes again, though a smile touched her lips again. _Mother, Father, please bless this new life of mine. Watch over my mate and my child as you have watched over me. _She rolled over to look at Sesshomaru and snuggled closer to him. _I have found my home.  
><em>

**OOOOOOOOO**

**A/N: I'm thinking that maybe the title wasn't the best, but it may turn out to be all right if I decide to continue on with this for a little more. What do you think? What do you like? What do you hate? Please leave a review in the little box and I hope you have a wonderful holiday season into the New Year and beyond! -Scarlet**


End file.
